


Love, Affection, Devotion

by breathe_out



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Cute, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22624627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breathe_out/pseuds/breathe_out
Summary: Shane takes care of his wife when she pushes herself past the point of exhaustion.(Farmer is she/her - not given a name).
Relationships: Shane/Female Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 165





	Love, Affection, Devotion

She’s not sure when her leaden legs refuse to carry her any further. She collapses against the side of the mountain and focuses on breathing air in and out of her lungs. Her eyes are glazed over with tumultuous exhaustion and her head is spinning. She gazes above, trying to blink away black spots that dance in her vision. The sun has already set over the horizon, and stars are twinkling into existence in the midst of the violet blue sky. She slides to the ground to rest her aching muscles. Sitting with her back on the rocky wall, she momentarily closes her eyelids. 

Shane will be worried, especially if she isn’t home before nine. He had promised to work on the farm all day and take care of the animals while she went to the mines. He’s not pleased when she goes cave diving, but he’s never gotten angry with her. The image of him sitting alone at the kitchen table, tapping his fingers impatiently as his anxiety builds, pushes her to climb back to her feet. 

The wound on her abdomen leaves her breathless and gasping for air. It’s not a deep cut, but it burns like hell and bleeds profusely. She hefts her pack onto her back and places her hand over the wound. Somehow, she manages to stumble forward as her dizziness becomes more and more pronounced by the second. Sweat beads on her brow from the mere effort of standing upright. 

It’s too late into the night for anyone to be out. She briefly considers asking Linus for help, but the thought is immediately dashed when she spots his fire-pit. It appears that the flames have been recently doused. Only a few glowing embers remain, which means that he has since retired to his tent to sleep. She can’t bring herself to wake him, so she trudges on. Besides, it’s entirely her fault that she pushed herself too far. There’s no reason to drag Linus into her mess.

Every step takes all of her concentration, but she channels all of her energy into making it home. The last thing she wants to do is faint. If Shane found her unresponsive in the dirt, she doubts that he’d ever let her out of his sight again. 

When the smoke from her chimney comes into view, she nearly trips. The thought of a warm bath and comfy bed is enticing. If Shane is already asleep, she can tip toe by him and into the bathroom. 

However, as she passes through the gate that marks the entrance to their farm, a figure on the porch catches her attention. Her heart catches in her throat as Shane rushes down the front steps to meet her. 

“Where’ve you been?” His voice is filled with relief. “I’ve been waiting for you-.” He stops midsentence and pauses only steps away from her. In seconds, his brows are knit with concern as his eyes rove over her from head to toe. She looks away guiltily, unsure of what to say.

Then, Shane is closing the distance between them and gently relieving her of the heavy pack on her back. He wraps his arms around her. The bag drops into the grass and he tugs her close. She slumps into him, completely and utterly tired.

“What happened, doll?” Shane pulls back to inspect her face. His thumb rubs over the dirt smeared on her upper cheek. 

Seeing her sweet husband so worried makes hot tears sprout to her eyes. She feels terrible for making him wait. “Bad day.” Her voice is tiny. She shoves her face into his shoulder and clutches the back of his jacket. 

Shane holds her, one hand placed on the small of her back and the other reaching up to undo the messy bun on top of her head. He pulls the band out and her long, tangled hair cascades over her shoulders. For a quiet moment, he simply combs his fingers through her curls. She breathes him in; the strange scent of Cajun spices and fresh detergent that clings to him soothes her nerves. 

“Come on,” Shane whispers, “Let’s get you cleaned up.” 

He snakes his arm around her waist to support her. Together they slowly make their way down the path to their home. It takes longer than it should have to get to the front door, but Shane never loses his patience with her. He guides her tired feet step-by-step, until he’s holding the door open to lead her into the house.

She steps through the threshold, and the warmth that curls around her battered body is immediate. Their cat patters across the floor to rub against her legs in greeting.

After she chucks her shoes off, Shane takes her to the bathroom. She lowers herself to the floor to rest against the wall. Meanwhile, Shane digs through the sink cabinet to retrieve bandages and isopropyl alcohol. He kneels in front of her with a clean cloth in his hand. 

“Let me see that cut.” He says. 

She tries to pull her arms through her coat, but she’s too weak to do it. Shane wordlessly leans forward to help her shrug it off, leaving her in a thin white tee shirt. A dark red blood stain has blossomed across her abdomen. He peels the shirt away as tenderly as he can, but the cotton still irritates her wound. She hisses in pain as the hem of her shirt is pulled up and over her head with her husband’s help. 

A long time ago, she would have been embarrassed to sit in front of Shane in nothing but a sports bra and jeans. But they have long since moved past that uncomfortable phase of intimacy. After all, they have borne their souls to one another, as well as their hearts and skin. Absolutely nothing stands between their love for each other. 

So, she sits still and tries not to squirm while he disinfects the wound. He murmurs soft apologies when she winces in pain. His hands, although calloused and large, work delicately with precision. She lets herself cry silently; frustration at her own carelessness and sheer exhaustion culminating into regret. When Shane finally places a waterproof bandage over the cut, he leans in to place a tender kiss on her lips. 

He stows away their meager medical supplies and pulls her up to sit on the lid of the toilet instead. She watches him turn the bath water on, running his hand under it occasionally to check if it’s hot. The bath is full and steaming when he shuts the water off again.

“Do you need me to stay?” He asks. 

She manages to smile at him as her chest swells with gratitude. “I can bathe on my own.” 

Shane nods and kisses the crown of her head. “I’ll leave the door cracked.” He looks at her pointedly, “Let me know if you need anything.”

When he turns to leave, she reaches out to grab his hand. “Shane,” She meets his eyes and see’s nothing but love and adoration reflecting back. “Thank you.” 

He smiles, “I’ll be right outside.” 

When he’s gone, she pulls the rest of her clothes off and climbs into the tub. The heat relaxes her tense muscles. She sinks into the water and ducks her head under. The sensation of warmth that floods her body is pleasant as it eases her bones. She uses a rosy shampoo to scrub the grime out of her hair. The dirt and blood that coats her skin vanishes under a thick lather of suds as she sponges herself clean. Once she’s rinsed and the water has begun to cool, she drains the tub and slinks into a cozy set of pajamas that Shane has left on the sink. They’re pastel pink with little white bunnies scattered across the fabric. Shane knows that these are her favorite. She slides the pants on and buttons up the long-sleeve shirt, reveling in the softness of the cotton against her skin. 

Quietly, she pushes the door open and spots Shane waiting on the couch. His chin is propped on his arm and his eyes are blinking back sleep.

“Shane.” She calls.

He bolts upright and smiles when he sees her. “Feeling better?” He asks.

She nods, and he stands to meet her. His hands brush over her hips and curl around her back as they kiss. They rest their foreheads together.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers.

He shushes her and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s okay.” 

“It’s not.” She insists. “I made you worry.” 

Shane cups her cheek and she leans into his touch. He smooths his thumb over the dark circles ringing her eyes. “I’d be a pretty shitty husband if I didn’t worry about you, doll.” 

“You’re an amazing husband.” She sighs and buries her face in his shoulder. 

“Come on, we can talk in bed. You look like you’re about to hit the floor.” 

They make their way to the darkened bedroom. Shane flicks a switch on the wall to turn the overhead fan on. He knows that she can’t sleep without it. She climbs into their shared queen bed and snuggles under the comforter. The pillow is cushiony and pleasantly cool against her skin. Then, Shane scoots in beside her and they gravitate to each other. She rests her head on his chest and listens to the faint sound of his heartbeat. He’s lying on his back with his arm wrapped around her again. The only noise in the room is the sound of the fan whirling on the ceiling and their combined breathing. 

“We should sleep in.” She mumbles. 

He chuckles and threads his fingers through her hair to gently massage her scalp. Her eyelids droop from the sensation until she finally closes them. She relishes in the gentle rise and fall of his chest. A surge of unrestrained emotion makes her throat close up. If she hadn’t made it out of the caves - if she had passed out - they wouldn’t be together now. The mere thought is terrifying, yet sobering as the gravity of the situation sinks in.

“Can we… can we just take a break this week?” She asks. 

“Of course, doll.”

Shane uses both of his hands to squeeze her even closer, and she holds onto him like a lifeline, as if they’ll suddenly disappear if either of them let go. 

“I love you.” She whispers.

“I love you, too.”


End file.
